It isn’t often that you see Republicans and Democrats at the state Capitol team up to deal with sales tax issues, but that’s the case with a new bill that seeks to simplify the process for dealing with certain municipal tax districts.

The Senate on Tuesday remembered the late former Sen. Paul Sandoval for being a hustler considered the “Godfather” of Colorado political circles. Sandoval died on April 24, 2012 at the age of 67 after the hardest campaign of his life, a painful battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was memorialized as a wheeler and dealer who did not rest solely on Democratic races, though he was a Democrat through and through. When Republicans he admired came to him for his blessing, Sandoval was willing to break partisan divides.

Proud alumni and students from colleges and universities near and far had an opportunity to celebrate higher education and show their pride by wearing the gear of their favorite college or university on April 12, College Friday.

At the state Capitol, legislators and other politicos wore their favorite college shirts, hats, jackets and other assundy college items.

It was a week before the Colorado Rockies’ 2013 home opener at Coors field and baseball fever was in full swing, but at the venerable Brown Palace Club a few blocks away in downtown Denver, a well-heeled fan base of civic citizens was hearing somewhat solemn news about the historic Governor’s Mansion from DaVita Healthcare Partners. Inc. president Kent Thiry.

“We have a problem, that’s why we’re here,” began the youthful CEO of Colorado’s $12.5 billion company at a fundraiser for the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund on March 29.

President Barack Obama urged Congress to follow Colorado’s lead by enacting “common sense” proposals to reduce gun violence, including expanding background checks for all firearms sales, in a speech on Wednesday at the Denver Police Academy.

“If we’re really going to tackle this problem seriously, then we’ve got to get Congress to take the next step,” Obama said. “As soon as next week, they will be voting. As soon as next week, every senator will get to vote on whether or not we should require background checks for anyone who wants to purchase a gun.”

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler is asking a court to overturn a voter-approved amendment to the state constitution because, he charges in court filings, its wording is “unconstitutionally vague” and denies due process rights to those targeted by a state ethics panel, including Gessler himself.

U.S. Sen. Mark Udall raised upwards of $1.5 million for his reelection bid in the first quarter of 2013, his campaign announced on Monday. The Eldorado Springs Democrat — who has yet to draw a Republican opponent for next year’s election — will report “over $2.5 million” cash on hand, a Udall spokesman said, adding that checks were still arriving in the mail on the day after the fundraising period had closed.

This story has been updated to reflect Andrew Romanoff's first quarter fundraising figures.

Attorney and Democratic Party power broker Steve Farber, who about this time last year caused a flurry in Colorado political circles by hosting a fundraiser for Republican Congressman Mike Coffman’s reelection in CD 6, has jilted the incumbent and on April 4, co-chaired a big name $1,000 to $5,200 a-person fundraiser for Andrew Romanoff, Coffman’s likely Democratic challenger in 2014.